Rating: 
Summary: A weak entry in the Kinsey Millhone series.
Review: I have read most of the books in the alphabet series by Sue Grafton. (My all-time favorite is "I is for Innocent".) "P is for Peril," Grafton's latest Kinsey Millhone mystery, is a tepid novel about the sudden disappearance of a respected doctor, Dowan Purcell. Purcell's ex-wife, Fiona, hires Kinsey to find the doctor nine weeks after he has vanished. Has he committed suicide, skipped the country or perhaps been murdered? Kinsey, in her usual thorough and meticulous manner, interviews everyone connected with the doctor, and as usual, she gets to the bottom of the mystery before the police do. She also uncovers a number of disturbing secrets regarding Purcell's unpleasant family and their acquaintances. There is a also an irritating subplot concerning a pair of dangerous and frightening brothers, one of whom takes a shine to Kinsey. As usual, Kinsey is pretty much a loner, cynically wisecracking her way through life. Her only true friend seems to be the elderly Henry Pitts, who is her landlord, her substitute father and her guardian angel. I have always liked the interaction between the lovable Henry and Kinsey, and more of this would have been welcome. I have also always liked Kinsey's style--laid back, self-deprecating and sassy. However, Grafton's writing in "P is for Peril" lacks flavor. The characters are the stereotypical rich, bored and obnoxious people who populate so many mysteries these days. Grafton's mysteries have lacked zing for quite some time now, and "P is for Peril" is no exception.
Rating:
Summary: Enjoyable, but not Grafton's best
Review: "P is for Peril" was a nice addition to the beloved series...until the dissapointing ending. Who was the killer? (which of the 2 final characters?) Though we can assume, we don't truly know. What was the motive? Again - we can assume, but have no definitive answer. What was going on with Leila? (How is a 14 yr. old that smart? When I was 14, I was brainstorming my way out of Gym class, not pulling off major heists.) That storyline seemed merely thrown in to absolve one of the outstanding questions of the plot. Perhaps I'm in the minority, but I like my mysteries to be neatly tied up at the end, not leave you staring at the binding of the book, looking for evidence that some jerk ripped out the final chapter. Though it is always fun to spend some time with Kinsey, I'm hoping Q ends a little neater. Perhaps with a nice respectful submission?
Rating: 
Summary: reaLLY greaT
Review: this book was really great. i don't want to tell too much because that would give away the storyline. let me just say that as usual sue grafton has another great book. the ending was a total surprise to me. the main plot was good about the investigation into the disappearance of dr. purcell and the subplot was just as good about the fraternal twins the h somethings .
Rating: 
Summary: P is for Peril
Review: I'm like the other reviewers. I'm the first in line to grab up Grafton's new book as soon as it hits the streets. With "P is for Peril" something strange is going on. Kinsey does feel like Kinsey anymore. Is Sue Grafton tired of her main character? This could happen. The book almost feels like it was written by someone else using Sue's name. Does this happen in publishing world? I will read the next book but I'll get it from the library.
Rating:
Summary: P is for Pondering
Review: Like many of the other reviewers, I am a devoted Sue Grafton fan - she is one of three authors that I will buy in hardback (Parker and Evanovich are the other two). I love her character Kinsey Millhone's situational surliness, plus I grew up in San Luis Obispo, setting of F is for Fugitive and not too far from Santa Barbara (the real name of the fictional Santa Teresa). She is also one author I have come to depend on for a cohesive, well-thought out plot. So I am doubly disappointed in this newest novel. Other reviewers have done a great job of describing the plot, so I won't repeat. The pacing of the story is just plain strange, though: hot and heavy with developments, then almost a whole chapter on the relationship between the the victim's second wife and her daughter. Also, Grafton relies very heavily on coincidence to produce plot developments, almost as though she had certain scenes and dialogue that she wanted to include even if they didn't really fit into the plot line. The ending of the book didn't bother me near as much as it seemed to bother other readers, although I did miss her "final report" that she usually submits. The whole tone of the book is off-kilter, as though two books were haphazardly merged into one. In fact, that's the first thought I had: Grafton had two books to write, and decided that neither one had enough oomph to make a novel, so she slapped them together.
Rating:
Summary: P is for Pages Missing?
Review: This is the first time I can say I was disappointed in a Kinsey Millhone book. Sure they're all kinda light, but they're always fun and manage to hook you early on with enough suspense to keep you turning pages. Here I was just left bored. Her main case took a back seat to her secondary story line which I thought became trivial and left neatly tied up with Kinsey not even seeming to deal with what happens. Did I miss something here? And the resolution to the first case slips right on in at the end which offers a murderer, but just a hint at the reason. Believe me, I get it, but it just all seemed too pat. Additionally, there's no wrap up at the end which at least brings the case to a final resolution. I hope "Q" is for quality plot lines.
Rating: 
Summary: P is for perfect summer reading
Review: This is the best Grafton mystery in several years. It is a "two-fer" in which the doughty PI, Kelsey Millhone, gets involved with two cases simultaneously in monsoon-struck Santa Theresa/Santa Barbara. The first case is a search for Dr Purcell, the missing physcian/administrator of a nursing home. The second involves missing jewels from a murder/robbery in Texas. There are so many plot twists that this reader utterly failed to solve the "whodunit" aspect of the book. Kelsey is supported by her usual cast of friends: her 86 year-old landlord Henry, his older brother, William. who is married to the Hungarian tyrant of Rosie's Tavern, and lawyer Lonnie Kingman. One of Kelsey's former lovers, Jonah Robb, who is now head of Santa Theresa's homicide unit also plays a role in "P is for Peril". It is the new characters -- mostly women -- that make this Grafton book special. Fiona Purcell, Art Deco decorator, hires Kelsey to find her vanished ex-husband, but seems equally interested in digging up dirt about his current wife, Crystal. Crystal is a former Las Vegas stripper with a troubled teen-age daughter, Leila, (born out of wedlock) and a baby son born to Dr. Purcell. Bright, tough Mariah Talbot arrives from Texas to enmesh Kelsey in the attempt to locate some missing jewelry. Anica Blackburn is the guidance counselor at the Malibu boarding school where Leila is incarcerated. The only person Leila seems to relate to is her Santa Theresa street pal, Pauline. All six women are strong personalities, vividly drawn, that engage the reader's emotions in one way or another. For contrast there is handsome Tommy Hevener, co-owner of the new office Kelsey has leased, who has designs to make their relationship more intimate. The only fault I have to find with this book -- and it is one shared by most contemporary mystery novels -- is that Grafton feels compelled to put Kelsey in mortal danger at the end of the story. The "Cheap Thrills" ending has become a cliche in the mystery genre. "If it's good enough for Dick Francis, it's good enough for me", seems to be the prevailing notion. Classic mystery writers, even the hard-boiled ones like Chandler and Ross MacDonald, devised climaxes to their stories that did not necessarily involve the imminent death and dismemberment of their investigators in the final chapter. At least Grafton has made risk-taking an integral part of Kelsey Millhone's character.
Rating:
Summary: Grafton at her best
Review: I confess to having sneaked a peek at what some of the disgruntled readers had to say about this book. And it never fails to amaze me how angry people get when an author requires a reader to use his/her imagination (based on what's been presented) and work out the answers. Books are intended to challenge and pique the mind, not to act as soporifics--with everything presented neatly tied up and gift-wrapped. P is for Peril does precisely that: it offers all the evidence and then leaves the reader to arrive at the only possible conclusion. I've been a Kinsey fan since book A; some of the entries in this alphabet series have been weaker than others. But Grafton always writes well, with humor and superior plotting skills. This is a grown-up book from a grown-up author who has yet to rely on formulaic writing, but rather brings something fresh to each new "letter." And P is just great; it's got wonderful characters, lots of humor, and enough red herrings to make a sizeable platter at a buffet. Most highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: P is for PHONED IN.....
Review: I've been a Kinsey Millhone fan since A IS FOR ALIBI. I've been the first one in line at the bookstores when a new 'letter' arrived. I've never been disappointed....until now. Like some other amazon reviewers, I felt oddly disconnected to this particular Kinsey Chronicle. The murder is never explained, unless you count the one sentence at the very end. The secondary plot doesn't really develop....and there's no satisfaction in the solving of either crimes. Could "P" stand for PHONED IN? Grafton is much better than this and we can allow her one slip in an otherwise outstanding series. I hope "Q" is for a return to QUALITY.
Rating:
Summary: An unfinished work?
Review: While Sue Grafton's writing style sparkles, as usual, with wit and vivid description, I couldn't help but think that the author should have kept on writing until she actually finished the book. The book contains a plot and a major subplot, and neither one is brought to a satisfactory resolution. Questions remain unanswered, loose ends are not entirely tied up. In fact it occured to me, some time after I read the final page, that heroine Kinsey Millhone had not actually told us the identity of the killer or the motive! Perhaps Grafton is being avant-garde; like many of her other fans, though, I would have appreciated a closing note "Respectfully submitted."
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